Say My Name
by 1oooW0rds
Summary: "Come on Red, you're driving yourself crazy in here." Rachel ran her hand over her hair as she quirked her eyes at him."Red? Real original. Am I Red because of my hair or my initials?" Malcolm's lips curled up. "Please give me some more credit." He started, brushing his fingers against her bare shoulder. Rachel flinched at the soft sting of pain. "You're burning." Canon verse.


A/N: This is a rather random story. I wanted to write something with Malcolm and Rachel in the canon universe and thought this was a cute prompt to practice on. Sadly it got angsty and right now I'm not in the mood to get a happy ending. Sorry guys! Real Life is sort of sapping my energy right now. This would take place slightly before HoO.

Prompt: That otp that calls each other by any other name but their first names… and then one of them gets hurt.

Say My Name

A horrible scene played over and over again behind her eyelids whenever Rachel closed them. A young man stood in a middle of a pit. Small monsters relentlessly attacked him, ripping into his orange t-shirt. He swiped his sword, cutting the monsters into ash or deflecting them with his shield. An arrow zoomed through the air, pinning a lunging monster. In the corner of Rachel's view, something menacing slithered towards the hero, using the shadows as cover. Rachel tried to shout but he couldn't hear her. He turned his head, giving Rachel a tiny glimpse of his profile right before the viper-like creature sprang forward, sinking its fangs into the young man's arm.

Rachel jolted from the memory as she sat up from her prone position. She let a shaky breath escaped her lips. Surrounding her were sketches of the scene she was trying to capture. The charcoal sketching of the sunken pit was dark with pikes and spears protruding from the ground. Moss and vines hid dangers lurking in the darkness. Her hands covered in black of the charcoal residue. She had pencil sketches the hero but they were less than perfect. He got his form nearly down with long limbs, lean body and messy hair. She crossed and scribbled out his face, unable to get it right.

"Ughhhhh!" She cried, ripping and balling up one particular failure before tossing it towards the trashcan. It bounced off the rim and fell beside the other failures. The redhead was about to grab another picture but paused. A soft sigh escaped Rachel's lips as she looked at the drawing. Her slender hands traced over the familiar lines of Percy she drew on impulse. Part of her hoped Percy was the hero in her horrible dream. That way, at least they knew where he was. It's been at least two days since the son of Poseidon disappearance. But Percy didn't fit in the scene. He wasn't the guy haunting her dreams. "Damn it, Percy. Where are you?"

Rachel fell back on the cool wooden floor of the attic. She closed her eyes, listening to the wind chimes just outside her open window. Her best friend was missing. Poof. One day Percy Jackson was in his cabin and the next he was gone without a trace. The whole camp was franticly searching for the lost hero. Rachel felt useless. She turned her head towards the window, feeling the warm sun against her face as she tuned to the sounds of the outside world. The attic felt like another world at times.

"How about Florida?" Annabeth asked. _She must be on the porch,_ Rachel thought as she could also hear the sound of maps being shuffled. Annabeth kept her calm composure throughout this whole search.

"Now you're just stabbing in the dark, sis." A baritone voice replied. "I want to see what's keeping Hedge before we throw more demigods out. Hey, don't give me that look, Annie. I'm not giving up but we have two demigods in the infirmary. We need to think logically." There was a subtle pause as the wooden floorboards creaked underneath the speaker's weight. "Come here. We'll find him. Now, what else can I help with?"

"Rachel." The girl opened her eyes at the sound of her name. "Can you check on Rachel, Malcolm? She's been in her room for a while."

"Got it, sis. I'm on Oracle duty." Rachel glared out the window, already disliking Malcolm. She pushed herself up, stretching her long lanky arms above her head. The girl stared at her reflection, rubbing the kink in her neck. Dark circles sat underneath her large green eyes. Her hair was a wild mess, twisted in a bun at the base of her neck. She wore a ratty racing tank top with charcoal and paint smeared on the sides. Her black leggings had glow-in-the-dark painted stars. Rachel sighed as she tossed a stray strand of hair out of her face and stood up.

"Hey Dare, you alive up there?" Rachel turned at the knock right before the trap door popped open. A blond head poked in with an easy smile tugging at his lips. Rachel blinked, realizing she never officially introduced to Annabeth's half brother. Malcolm Hale was about Percy's height with a wiry frame. He scratched the back of his bead awkwardly. The orange t-shirt tugged against his lean chest. Bright gray eyes met Rachel's green ones like he was a puzzle he needed to solve. "Found anything in your sketches?" He asked, noticing the bin of failures.

"Some poor fool is going to have a very bad day." Rachel answered as she pointed to the sketches on the ground. She sat at her desk facing the window as she rubbed her temple. Since the last Oracle, Rachel renovated the attic for her own personal space at Camp Half-Blood. The ancient weapons and artifacts were removed or polished and cleanly displayed. A modest bed was pulled up for Rachel if she decided to stay over. The walls were plastered with sketches of the camp and photographs. Easels, empty paint cans and jars of art supplies sat on shelves. Rachel loved the space. It had its own odd charms.

"Sucks for him…" Malcolm murmured as he picked up the pages, studying the scene. "Not Percy though?" Rachel shook her head, tapping her fingers against the wooden desk. Malcolm set the series of sketches beside her. "Come on Red, you're driving yourself crazy in here." Rachel ran her hand over her hair as she quirked her eyes at him.

"Red? Real original. Am I Red because of my hair or my initials?" Malcolm's lips curled up.

"Please give me some more credit." He started, brushing his fingers against her bare shoulder. Rachel flinched at the soft sting of pain. She turned her head, noticing the slowly reddening skin. "You're starting to burn." Rachel pushed his fingers off of her shoulder before grabbing a cardigan.

"Thanks Doc." She murmured, pushing the chair out. Malcolm laughed, catching her chair before she could slam it into his stomach. They were close Rachel could see how gray his eyes were. "So Oracle duty?"

"Ah, you heard that…"

###

"Is this normal?" Rachel asked as she sank down beside Katie Gardner, cranking her head up. Katie stifled a laugh and nodded her head as she kicked her legs up on the seat in front of her. The cool morning breeze from the ocean tickled the girls' cheeks as they watched two blond boys scramble up the side of the huge climbing wall. The sun just finished rising over the horizon. Frost clung to the wall but it didn't deter the boys.

"Normal for them." Katie replied as she shoved her hands into her hoodie pockets. A warm scarf wrapped around her neck. Rachel blew on her fingertips as she tried to warm them for a quick morning sketch. "Will's an early bird, all Apollo kids are, and likes a morning workout. Malcolm's too nice to say no. They do climbing walls on Mondays and Fridays. Malcolm is a better climber. Once Will falls, they'll go off for some archery. That usually perks William up." Rachel tilted her head as Katie explained. The Demeter daughter seemed very invested in the boys' workout.

"You know them really well?" Rachel commented, dragging her pencil over the white page of her sketchpad.

"You try spending three years with these idiots and not know their routine." Katie fired back as she shook her head, returning her watchful gaze to the two boys. Malcolm leaped over a gap, clawing the wall as a stream of lava consumed the previous platform. Malcolm pursed his lips as he looked up where Will was a few feet above him. "So Malcolm's been keeping you company?"

"Yeah, he's on babysitting detail." Rachel murmured back, pressing a little too hard on her sketching. Everyone in camp has been restless since Jason, Piper and Leo set out on their quest. No one liked giving newcomers such a huge responsibilities, especially veterans like Malcolm and Will. The boys had a nervous energy being cooped up in Camp Half-Blood while other campers were out actively searching for Percy. Rachel frowned as she sketched out a human form. "Is he mad?" Katie blinked as she turned to the redhead. "I feel like he should be mad. I'm the reason he's not out there searching."

"Malcolm? I don't think he can get mad." Katie replied as she smiled at Rachel. "You're not a burden or anything like that, Rachel. In my opinion, you're switching up his boring life." Rachel laughed, shaking her head as she tugged a curl out of her face. Katie lightly bumped her leg. "Trust me. You are enriching Malcolm's boring life."

"Wahhhh!" Will shouted as he fell. His arms flailed around like windmills before crashing into the soft cushions underneath. The boy popped up, shaking his fist angrily at Malcolm. "You ass! I was almost at the top!"

"Almost isn't good enough, Solace!" Malcolm laughed back as he hung off a ledge with one hand. Rachel couldn't help but stare. The sun sat behind him perfectly, illuminating his taut form as he held himself there. Strong muscles of his arms bulged as he pulled himself up. Sweat caused his t-shirt to hug his body. A grin tugged Malcolm's lips as he smiled down at Will. She saw the exact moment when his teasing self receded, shifting to a more serious gaze. His gray eyes hardened in concentration as he studied what was left.

"He just can't let me win one." Will murmured as he plopped down on the bench in front of the girls. Will tilted his head back, smiling widely at them. "Would it be immature to force Malcolm into rhymes for the rest of the day?"

"I heard that!" Malcolm shouted down as he pulled himself up another difficult spot. He sat there for a moment. There was at least a quarter of the wall left, the most difficult part.

"Please don't." Rachel pleaded as she added more details to her drawing. It was the climbing wall with its dangerous ledges and spikes. The faceless figure hanged off a ledge, legs dangled but somehow pulling themselves up. "I have to spend the rest of the day with him."

"True, I wouldn't punish you as well." Will replied as he turned around. His blue eyes focused on the drawing on her lap. "That's Malcolm."

"What? No it's not." Rachel denied as she looked to Will and Katie. The other girl slid over, grabbing the edge of the pad to look. Her green eyes widen.

"Um… sorry Rachel but I have to agree with Arrow boy, that's definitely Malcolm." Katie overruled as she pointed at a tiny detail Rachel added moments ago. "This scar. Malcolm has one just like it when his shirt rides up. Devil is in the details."

"What are you three plotting?" The teenagers whirled around at Malcolm's voice. He stood there, using the edge of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat off his chin. Unconsciously, Rachel's eyes wandered down to notice the tiny scar near his navel. It was thin and white against his skin. His eyes narrowed at the sudden silence until he followed Rachel's gaze. A grin tugged at his lips. "Enjoying the view, Picasso?"

"Not at all, Blondie."

###

"What about the west coast?" Rachel turned her head at Malcolm's voice, looking through the cluster of stacked books, blueprints and models in Athena cabin. Malcolm and Annabeth were hunched over the large central table in the middle of the cabin. Tiny flags marked all the spots they've searched for Percy. Annabeth frowned at her brother's suggestion as she cradled her chin studying the map. Rachel's heart ached at her troubled expression, noting the dark circles underneath her vibrant gray eyes. "My family's over there. I have a few contacts. Will can come as backup."

"Isn't this just stabbing in the dark?" Annabeth threw back at him. Malcolm's lips curled at her response.

"Better stab than most. I'm going back anyways. Abby's birthday." Annabeth stared at Malcolm with an unreadable expression. Malcolm knew what it said as he stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Annabeth's shoulder. He pressed a brotherly kiss to her forehead. "You're not going to lose me, Annie. You've done crazier things at age twelve."

A smile tugged at Annabeth's lips. "Shut up. I'll tell Chiron." She said, punching his arm before leaving the cabin. Malcolm rubbed his arm, letting a soft sigh escape his lips. He ran his fingers through his soft hair as he wandered over to his bed where Rachel was perched.

"Heard all of that, Red?" Malcolm asked as he grabbed a book from the many shelves before settling across from her. Rachel nodded her head as she pulled her knees up to give him space. "Was I a little rough on her?"

"Nothing Annabeth can't handle." Rachel replied, settling against Malcolm's pillow. They've been spending a lot of time together. Malcolm knew a lot about everything, myths, current events, books and art. He was like Google without the fancy logos every other day. Rachel's favorite nickname for him was the powerhouse search engine that he replies to gracefully to humor her. "Google, you rarely throw the big brother card around though."

"I never needed too. Annabeth's been calling the shots since I've arrived." Malcolm started, thumbing through the book he picked out. It was an atlas of the United States. Rachel could see parts of California and the Pacific Ocean as his fingers roamed over the pages. "It's odd. I'm the older sibling but Annabeth's head of the cabin. Her word is usually law. When I heard Percy was missing, I flew back. A lot of us did. Percy's our friend as well." Malcolm paused for a moment, flashing Rachel a half-smile. He knew she missed the dark-haired demigod as well.

"Who's on the west coast?" Rachel asked, wondering about Abby. Percy is still missing but the ache hurt lessened. Probably because Malcolm kept her busy. She could return the favor once in a while.

"My dad. He's a history professor but it's his sabbatical this year. He's focusing on finishing his book right now. Athena liked him for his brains. My step-mom is a fantasy author. She loves talking about demigods and myths with me." A fond smile fell on Malcolm's lips. It was rare for demigods to have a positive relationship with their human families. "I have two half-siblings, both younger. Joey and Abby. They're amazing." Malcolm motioned Rachel closer, tilting the map towards her. "We have a place by the beach. Will's going to love it. The sun, the waves."

"Hey, it's not a vacation." Rachel ordered, slapping his knee. Malcolm laughed as he threw his arm over her shoulders. She leaned in closer to read the name of the place. "Malibu… I think this is my new favorite nickname for you."

"Some days I wonder if you know my real name." Malcolm countered, tugging the end of her ponytail. The pair traded grins.

"Bob?" Rachel threw out, laughing at Malcolm's dramatic groan.

###

Once again, that dream with the boy in the pit of monsters plagued Rachel's dreams. Today the vision was so clear, Rachel felt like she could pluck it from her dreams and put it on paper. The girl had no idea how long she sat on the dock, hunched over her sketchpad. Her fingers arched. Neck sore. Around her were different art supplies, pastels, rubber erasers, or charcoal. Rachel turned her head, hearing a satisfying crack and sighed. It still wasn't complete. She licked her cracked lips as she added the finishing touches to the horrible monster lurking in the shadows.

It was beautiful in a menacing way. The monster had an upper body of a woman with full breasts, long arms and luscious lips. An attractive face was framed by tumbling dark curls. Her black eyes had a catty gleam to them, coaxing whoever's looking closer. Her slender waist taped down to a snake tail with a rattle at the end. Her reddish tinged scales shined in the light. A pair of fangs protruded from her red lips. Her smile was taunting and sexy at the same time.

Rachel held the finished picture at arm's length. She had multiple sketches of the beast. One of her lurking in the shadows as the hero struggled against her minions. Another she was stalking through the thick vines, dipping her fingers in a puddle of blood. The last one Rachel drew was of the snake woman pinning the boy down to the ground, lips inches away from his neck about to bite in as he struggled.

"That's a Scythian Dracanae." Rachel's head snapped up at the sound of Malcolm's voice above her. He stood there holding a bottle of juice and a few baked goods with a notebook tucked underneath his arm. "You weren't at breakfast. Here," he held out a blueberry muffin before sitting beside her. Rachel nibbled on the treat, trying to process what Malcolm called her monster. "So, that's what the poor sucker is going to face?"

"Seems like it." Rachel replied as she flipped to the first page of her 'project'. The whole sketchbook had pieces of the scene. The pit where the hero fell into, the monsters that would attack him, and now Rachel finished the main monster. The only thing she hasn't completed was the hero. She has the basic structure of him drawn, wiry frame, lean arms, strong legs but the key features were never right. The redhead groaned and smacked her forehead with her pad. "This is frustrating. Who are you?"

"Hey, don't kill your precious brain cells. You need those for college or whatever you want to do in the future." Malcolm ordered, grabbing the sketchpad and replacing it with his notebook. Malcolm blinked at the image as he sat down besides her, passing the juice as well. "Eat your muffin."

"Already am." Rachel replied, taking another bite and absently flipped open his notebook. It was a jumbled mess of notes like training schedules, medical plants from Katie, archery tips from Will, and tactics planning from Annabeth and Chiron. Rachel turned to the next page, finding notes about various artists she admired or books Rachel actually recommended to Malcolm. Gradually, the chaos of notes focused more on the things they've talked about, global warming, forestation, recycling. Malcolm created a detailed recycling plan for Camp Half-Blood and an irrigation system she mentioned a few days ago for the strawberry fields. A smile tugged at her lips as she flipped the page.

Rachel took a sharp breath, feeling her heart skip a bit. On the page was a messy inky sketch of a girl with tumbling curls and sharp eyes. It was a doodle but Rachel could recognize the curve of her chin and distinct freckle pattern on her shoulder. It was definitely her. Rachel slowly looked up, staring at the boy who was furiously studying her drawings. "Malibu?"

"You said this is a vision?" Malcolm was still intently focused on the picture in his hands. Gray eyes bore holes into the white papers. Rachel didn't like his tone, serious and tense like he was preparing for battle.

"I think so. I've had it since Percy disappeared. Why?" Rachel asked, feeling dread pool in her stomach. Malcolm didn't answer as he flipped through the pictures again, committing each image to memory. It scared Rachel, how his gray eyes drank the details in. Rachel grabbed his arm, pulling him away. "You know something, don't you, Malibu. Tell me." Malcolm looked at Rachel with the same expression he had studying the pictures. He slowly reached up. Her green eyes grew as his fingers brushed her cheeks, pushing a stray strand behind her ear.

"It's nothing, Oracle. Don't worry your pretty head." Malcolm reassured her. That made Rachel worried even more especially since Malcolm and Will are leaving tonight for Malibu, California.

###

The paintbrush fell out of her hands as Rachel's eyes roamed the messy canvas. "No…" She whispered, backing away from the paintings. Three canvases were filled of the gruesome event. The face of the hero was clear now. She spent nearly every day looking at it. Malcolm's clear gray eyes were half-closed as the dracanae squeezed his neck and pinned him to the wall. His mouth curled to a grimace of pain with blood dripping from his temple.

Rachel fumbled with her phone as she quickly snapped pictures of each canvas. First was the original scene of Malcolm in the pit with smaller snakes lunging and biting at him. The second one the dracanae wrapped her long tail around his ankle and flung his body against the wall. She pinned him against it, leaning dangerously close to his neck, whispering something to the prone boy. The last scene Malcolm was on the ground, sword soaked with blood with huge gashes all over his body, bleeding extensively. Rachel wanted to vomit. She used so much red paint.

"This can't be real." She murmured, shoving her smartphone into her messenger bag before grabbing her keys. Someone at Half-Blood needed to see these and tell her she's wrong. She has to be wrong. "It's not Malcolm. It's not Malcolm." Rachel repeated over and over as she ripped the door of her car open and quickly backed out of the driveway. The roads were empty as she drove into the dark night. Her hands were numb by how hard she was gripping the steering wheel. Wind whipped her face from the open windows of her blue jeep. She turned sharply down Farm Road, pulling her parking brake at the base of the hill.

Rachel ran up the hill, feeling the effects of the mist. Her eyes narrowed as the mist slowly dissipated revealing the dark camp. Her side hurts from the run as she placed her hand against the pine tree, trying to gather her breath and thoughts. The eerie stillness of the camp frightened Rachel. Porch lights sat in front of every major building but no one stirred. It was like no one knew the horrors that were happening on the west coast.

"Chiron…" The girl whispered as she ran towards the Big House, fingers grasping the cold knob. "Chiron!" She shouted rushing towards his wing of the building. The door of his quarters opened slowly, revealing a disheveled Chiron. His brown hair stuck up in various angles as he adjusted his glasses, blinking at the panting oracle. "Chiron…"

"Rachel, are you alright?" He motioned her in, stepping aside. Rachel placed the length of his room, feeling that knot form at the pit of her stomach. "You look pale. Please sit down." Rachel shook her head, reaching into her pocket and pushed her phone into his large hands. The centaur looked at the device.

"We need to contact Malcolm. Something happened. Look." Rachel said, unlocking and pulling up her pictures. Chiron frowned at the paintings with dread, slowly taking in the images. Rachel clenched her teeth in frustration. "Chiron, I'm serious. I've been having these visions." Chiron listened patiently as Rachel explained about the paintings. She reached out touching his arm. "Please, Chiron, contact them."

"Of course, Rachel." He replied, walking over to the small fountain in his room. Rachel twisted the bottom of her t-shirt, dreading what could appear on the other side of the message. "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering." Chiron recited tossing a golden drachma. "Malcolm Hale, Malibu, California." It took a moment but a watery image appeared. Rachel's heart clenched painfully.

"Malcolm!" Rachel called out in horror. Malcolm was on his back, grimacing in pain as Will tied a tourniquet around his leg. Both boys were covered in mud, blood and ashes. A dying dracanae was a good distance from the boys, dissolving into ashes. "Will!" The blond medic's mead shot up, staring at the iris message in front of him with wide blue eyes.

"Rachel… Chiron…" Will breathed, hands covered in blood. He looked so young as he spoke in a shaky voice. "It's bad here. The ambrosia we have isn't enough to heal Malcolm's wounds. The venom is too strong." Malcolm let out a blood-curdling cry as he thrashed on the ground. Will grabbed his arm, holding the boy down. "Mal, stay with me. Malcolm! Shit," Will started singing a soothing Greek lullaby as his hands glowed. Malcolm stopped thrashing after a few moments. Will let a soft sigh escaped his lips before he looked back up. "He's in a medical coma. We need help soon. Send a Pegasus team but not Annabeth. She shouldn't see this. Hurry."

"Will," Rachel whispered, meeting his blue eyes. He gave her a half smile.

"Don't worry, Rach. He's not going to die." Will promised as the Iris message dissolved in front of them. Rachel closed her eyes, hating her powers. She saw this. She could have stopped this. Malcolm wouldn't be lying on the ground hundreds of miles away if she… Chiron placed a reassuring hand on Rachel's shoulders.

"Go rest, Rachel. I'll send a team out." Chiron ordered as he left the room. Rachel collapsed on his worn-out couch, curling her legs up. She closed her eyes, unable to scrub the image of Malcolm, bloody and bleeding, out of her mind. She pressed her hands over her eyes, recalling how his gentle fingers days ago as he told her not to worry.

"You knew, Malcolm." Rachel murmured, curling her fingers. "Gods damn it, Malcolm. You knew."


End file.
